Electrically controlled race track indicator board



Oct.- l1, 1938. H. WILLIAMS 2,132,912

ELEQTRIGALLY CONTROL-LED RACE TRACK INDICATOR BOARD Filed July 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l lNvENToR /HAOLD WILL /1/4 s Oct. l1, 1938. H.'w|| |AMs 2,132,912

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED RACE TRACK INDICATOR BOARD Filed July e, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORN EY 15 A further object is the provis'on of a remotetrol panel embodying my invention. 15

mais ou. 11,1538. y I 2,132,912v

UNITED STATES PATENT o Fl-"lcr-iI n 2,132,912 t V mc'ralcaunr commun anca 'macnmrca'ron. Bom

mrola'wlmsms. New York.' N. Y., una to Forum misten, cum, nl.

'application July c.' im, serial No. assos 1 claim. (ci. 1v1-sw This invention relates to an apparatus for tioned control panel to close circuits throulhqslgl'r indicating .the progress of races, especially at .devices and changeable numerals on a `result horse racing tracks. a board. l The usual horse race track is generally at least A further object is the provision of a plurality 5 one mile in circumference, and it is o ften diiilof novel circuits -for electrically producing nu- 5 cult to distinguish the positions of the horses at merals from 1 to 9 and 0 from 'afield of electric points remote from the grandstand. .Heretofore, incandescent lamps having certain 'groups of ,no means have been provided for informing the lamps thereof common to various numerals. j spectators the relative positions-of the horses These and other objectsare attained by the during the progress of the race. novel construction, combination and arrange- 10 It is, therefore, an object of this invention to ment of parts hereinafter described and shown in provide an apparatus by means of which the 'the accompanying drawings, constituting a maspectators are kept posted as to the f our leading terial part of this disclosure, and in which: horses, at least, throughout the race. Fig. 1' is a view showing a result board and concontrolled electrically operated apparatus by Fg 2 iS 9i Wiring diagram fOr il field 0f incl!!- means of which the spectators can be informed descent lamps, showing the various circuits and precisely as to the positions of the horses atthe combinations of groups of lamps for producing finish of the race. Inmany instances the specvarious numerals. Y

o tator views the iinish of a race from an angle Referring to the drawings. 'in P18- 1 the result 20.

which often gives himV a false idea as to which board 2l is shown to have -a top IOW 0f sign dehorse is the winner. At present, at race tracks, vices, in which the upper left hand held 2i of when. a dead heat is run, or 'a foul is claimed, c r incandescent lamps can be varied to designate it is necessary to resort to' a photograph to deterthe number of the race- The Same' IOW 0n the mine the' winner, the spectators are kept Ain susboard B150 ShOWS the time 0f th rice at 2.1# The 25 pense for .an appreciable time before an attendnext row on the board. has the sign Oiiicial,

f ant manually raises-a paintedy sign cna standard which is flashed when the iinal rultis giveui;A announcing what is going on. Obviously, such and also the numbers for the 1, 2, 3 and 4th posimanual announcing is inconvenient, tedious and. tion. 0ny the left hand side of the board are prohighly unsatisfactory due to the delay connected vided signs for "Camera. Foul claim and Dead therewithfespecially in view of the fact that at heat"; and belowthe numerals '1, l2, 3 and 4, are all race tracks today considerable sums of money vmounted fields of incandescent lamps, each field are bet on each race. comprising a plurality of circuits as shown in In accordance with my invention, there is Fig. 2, for selectively combining certain groups of mounted in full view of the grandstand and 'speclamps to designate a desired numeral. For ex- 35 tators, a result board having electric signs amplel in Fig. 1, the board. shows that the iirst thereon designating Oiiic'ial when the final omhorse was No. 6; the second horse. NO- 3; etc. cial result of the race is announced; Camera The sign devices and fields of incandescent when it is necessary to tesn; to a, photograph to lamps are connected by agroup of wires 24 to a o detcrminethe winner; Foul'claimed whensuch 0ntr0l Panel 25. 1190!! which are mOllnted PIU- 40 is the case; and Dead heat" when the winner rality 0f .Push butwn- Switches fOr closing Ciruits can not be determined. `-These electric signs can through the various sign devices and for forming be controlled by push buttons mounted on a rethe combinations oi' circuits f cr producing varimote control panel. The board is also lequipped ous' numerals. The panel 2l and the method of 4,5 to designate various numbers at will by simply vselecting the various circuits is preferably of the. pressing buttons on the control panel. By means type discicsed in United States Letters Patent No. -of the changeable numbers, the number of the 1,160,416 issued in,1915 to Kliegl; however, the race, the numbers of the rst four horses, and the arrangement of circuits and groups of lamps, see time,can also be conveniently and readily flashed Fig. 2, for prcducing various numerals from a on the board by pressing button switches on the single field of lamps. is considered a decided im- 5o control panel. provement of the Kliegl arrangement, in thatthe It is therefore a further obiect of this invenarrangement shown in Fig. 2 herein produces tion to provide a method of indicating the progmore distinct numerals and there is no chance =ress and result of a race. which comprises essenfor confusion. whichv obviously. would be very tiallytheclosin'gofswitchescnaremotelypoaiunsatisfactoryataracetrack.l sa

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that in accordance with my invention, a eld of incandescent lamps vis provided with fteen circuits or selectable groups of lamps to produce numerals ,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, '1, 8, 9 and 0. The various circuits are indicated by dotted lines.

To producenumeral 1, the button I is pressed on the panel to close a circuit through circuit I. Numeral 2 is`produced by combining the upper half of the circle 2 with circuits 4, 5, 8 and 9. Numeral 3 comprises circuits 2, 4, 5, l'I and 6, Awhich is the lower half of the lower circle. Numeral 4 is formed by closing circuit I5; numeral 5v 'comprisescircuits 6, I2 and'l4; numeral 6 comprises circuits 2, IIJ and the bottom circle including 6; number f7 comprises circuits I3 and I4; numeral 8 is formed by circuits 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, '1, 8; numeral 9 comprises circuits 2, 3, 4, 5, II and 5; and zero is formed by circuits 2, I0, I I, and 6.

From the above, it will be seen that several circuits are necessary to form some numerals; for example, the formation of number eight requires seven circuits.

In operation, to give the final result of a race, the operator presses the button Official, and then presses the numbered buttons in rows 1, 2, 3,

4 on the panel to produce on the result board the v illuminated numerals indicating the rst, second,

third, and fourth horses. The operator then presses the proper buttons to indicate on the board the time of the race. l

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment can be constructed including modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and `desire to secure-by Letters Patent, is:

An annunciator for horse races comprising at least three sets of selectively illuminable numbers, each number of a set corresponding to the number of a different horse in a race, an indicia adjacent each set indicating the running positions respectively of first, second and third, electrically controlled means for illuminating a number in one set to indicate the number of the horse running in the leading position in the race at a predetermined time, and similar means for illuminating a number in each of the other sets Vto indicate the numbers of the horses running in other positions in the race, said control means being operable during the progress of the race to change the numbers appearing in said sets as the numbers of the horses in said positions change during the progress of the race.

HAROLD WILLIAMS. 

